Mombetsu, Newport's Sister City

The sister city program
originated in 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a
people-to-people citizen diplomacy initiative.

Newport residents visit Mombetsu

Sister Cities
International is the official organization that links
jurisdictions from the United States with communities’ world
wide. Currently Sister Cities International represents over
2,500 communities in 126 countries from around the world.

Newport has
participated in the Sister City Program since 1966 when on April
8th of that year Mombetsu (pronounced: mom-bets)
Japan became our “official” sister city.

In the 40+ years
that have passed, we have enjoyed a long and enriching
friendship between a variety of our residents and the
representatives of Mombetsu. We have enjoyed personal ties, as
well as civic and cultural ones.